


Solitary Confinement

by PsychoFlare



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Persona 5 Protagonist Has A Palace
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-08-20 01:33:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20219581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychoFlare/pseuds/PsychoFlare
Summary: {Takes place post-7th Palace, but before the ending. Spoilers about a certain pancake boy!}It was supposed to be the last heist. With Shido's heart changed, all that was left to do was to wait. They had won, right? ...Then why did he feel so empty?"...Akira Kurusu.""Match found."





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> There, uh, might be some Shukita {Yusuke and Protag} and Akeshu {Akechi and Protag} hints in here because I am such trash for those ships and can't help myself. Not the main focus, but I am very biased.

It didn't feel right.

Akira Kurusu thought this to himself as he stared up at his ceiling, Morgana's quiet snores being the only noise to fill his ears. Their success shouldn't leave such a bitter taste in his mouth. Why did this victory feel so unearned? The man who had set up all of the psychotic breakdowns, and coincidentally, his own probation, had been defeated. He should be ecstatic.

_"Change Shido's heart...in my stead. End his crimes. Please!"_

Maybe because he had stolen the victory from somebody else. He was good at that, wasn't he?

_"Why do you have things that I **don't**!?"_

Luck. If it hadn't been raining, if Ann had taken shelter somewhere else, if Kamoshida hadn't picked her up. If Ryuji hadn't come running and said his _exact_ keywords. If Morgana had been in a different Palace...Akira had been lucky. If one of those things hadn't have happened, he'd probably have been expelled from Shujin. He wouldn't have any of his friends. He wouldn't have Joker.

_"You're just criminal trash, living in an attic!"_

Akechi wasn't wrong. Who cared if the charges were false? The fact remained. Nobody back home had even listened to his side of the story. Nobody at home cared about Akira Kurusu. It made him wonder. Did the people here? He knew he had friends. He had the Phantom Thieves. But all of them only stuck around just for that. For their justice. For Joker. Without Joker, was he worth anything? Without Arsene, and the rest of his Personas, what was he?

Their last trip to Mementos had cemented that line of thought. It was just supposed to be to blow off some steam. Fulfill a request from Mishima, while they were at it. Arsene hadn't come when he was summoned. Neither had Isis, or Hariti. He could...he played it off. These were just weaklings, right? No need to waste energy summoning a Persona. When he had returned to Leblanc, it was all he could do to stop himself from throwing up. Futaba's bugs and Morgana's presence helped him keep his composure. They couldn't see.

_"Persona users can't have Palaces."_

It couldn't be possible. Yet, if his rebellious will was unreachable, then maybe...? Checking wouldn't hurt. He glanced over at Morgana, who's eyes were still blissfully shut. The Nav opened.

"...Akira Kurusu."

"_Match found."_

His heart leaped into his throat. He knew the answer before he had input it. Just like he knew what came next.

"Le..." He took a deep breath. He shouldn't drag the cat with him. Akira stood up carefully, exiting the cafe without a word. "Leblanc. Prison." A nice prison, but a place meant to confine him, nonetheless. It felt strange to describe the place that had become his home in such a way, but...

"_Beginning navigation."_

As the world shifted around him, Akira hadn't noticed that Morgana had stopped snoring. Or the blue eyes watching him from the window.


	2. Exploration

The sensation of being pulled into the Metaverse was always a strange one, even if it was familiar. The world around him darkened, and Akira's eyes widened in surprise as he glanced back at Leblanc. Nothing about its appearance had changed. It still appeared as the small, homey cafe he came home to every evening.

He reached out for the handle, grimacing when he found it to be unmoving. Locked. But his bedroom window was open. 

Well, he was fortunate that Joker was so acrobatic. It took little to no effort to leap upwards into his room, landing softly on the floor. He was once again thrown into shock as Joker flickered in and out, soon vanishing into his school uniform. He wasn't a threat? In his own Palace? That was almost...insulting.

Glancing around the room, nothing seemed to be out of place. Aside from the absence of Morgana, it was an exact replica of his room in the real world. He cautiously crept down the staircase, a grim sense of satisfaction creeping over him as he finally found the start of the distortion. Behind the bar, a set of stairs that most certainly did not exist in the actual cafe.

"Stay calm. Take your time." He tried to reason with himself. Just because he didn't have his Personas or weapons didn't mean he was completely helpless. This was still the Metaverse. He still had his catlike reflexes. A quick pulse through his brain proved that he still had his Third Eye. And what was the likelihood that the shadows in his Palace would kill him? Self preservation would stop that, wouldn't it? If he were to die, they would all disappear.

The stairs led to an impossibly long hallway, no twists or turns present. Nowhere to hide. It was probably one of his more unnerving experiences, alongside Futaba's cognition of her mother.

And...the boiler room.

Eventually, he reached a large set of iron doors, seemingly having no way to open them. He reached out. As his hand brushed against the cold metal, a flash broke through the darkness, making him shield his eyes with his free hand. As the light faded, an intricate and familiar card design rested on the back of his hand, and the doors had vanished.

_The Fool has entered the game_. 

The room beyond was simple. Iron bars cut the room in half, a single door similar to the first two being the only way forward. No vents. No windows. Past that was a small cell, barely enough room to contain the two people within. There his Shadow sat, handcuffed to a chair in the prison garb he was forced to don every time he entered the Velvet Room. Behind him...was another familiar figure. Pointing a gun to the back of his head.

He really should have expected cognitions of his friends in here. Akira just didn't think that Akechi would be the first one he saw.

His Shadow raised his head as he approached the first set of bars, his left eye golden and shining. The right eye a cold, dead grey. "I thought he might just let you in." Not a hint of what his hidden self may be feeling, though he supposed that he should already know. He wished he did.

"He?"

"The Warden. Me." The same voice, albeit slightly deeper, responded from beside him. Akira's head snapped towards the sound, biting the inside of his cheek as Joker appeared beside him. Except there was no mask. "Welcome to your prison. You're in charge, and locked up. Quite an interesting combination, isn't it? Ren and I think so. That's what I call him, anyways. It makes conversations a little easier. Ren, the Prisoner. Joker, the Warden. And Akira...well, the Real One, I suppose."

Akira glanced over at himself - _Ren_ \- and narrowed his eyes. "Why is place here? What's my treasure?"

"Tut tut tut!" Joker waved his suspicion aside. "_Our_ treasure, dear. Just telling you wouldn't be any fun, would it? If you want to know...then you'll have to steal it. But you're not much of a thief anymore, are you? That'd be me. But, I think you should be sticking around anyways." His voice dropped down to mumbling, Akira having to strain to hear him. "As you are, I think you'd be better suited to take Ren's place than my own...it's settled, then!"

"What are you-?" Then Joker snapped, and an intense pain flashed through his head.

Similar to the agony he felt during an awakening, he fell to the ground with a scream, clutching desperately around his eyes to rip off a mask that no longer existed. With no way to make it subside, the pain distracted him from the sensation of having his body picked up and moved.

Then it spiked again. Rather than something trying to tear it's way out, it now felt like something was forcing its way _in_. He shrieked again, nails digging into the sides of his face.

_Get it out get it out get it out get it out get it outoutoutoutout-_

It was gone in an instant, and blackness took him alongside the relief.

* * *

"Akira hasn't come back since last night?"

"For real?"

"Morgana, are you _sure_ you heard him say 'Palace?'"

"Of course I'm sure! I heard all his keywords, too. I..." The cat's expression shifted from indignation into concern. "I think something might've trapped him there. Akira's Shadow is probably more dangerous than any other Shadow we've seen before. With how familiar we've all gotten with the Metaverse, it might even be able to change the Palace whenever it wants. Shido was able to alter things a little, and he's only ever read about it. Like the trap he had set up for Akechi."

Haru's eyes widened. "You think his own cognition might have set something up to keep him there?"

"It's possible. Which is why this can't wait. We have to get through this Palace as soon as possible!" 

Futaba grinned, trying to mask the worry painted on her face. "It's like a speed-run! No deadline, but we gotta go as soon as possible! I guess that means Makoto's in charge!"

"...Alright, let's go now. No point in putting it off. Go ahead, Morgana." Makoto took a deep breath, opening the Metaverse App on her phone, and placing it in front of the cat.

"Akira Kurusu."

_Candidate found. Please enter a location._

"Leblanc." Futaba flinched at that.

_Match found. Please enter distortion._

"Prison."

_Palace found. Beginning Navigation._

* * *

_The Magician has entered the prison._

_The Chariot has entered the prison._

_The Lovers has entered the prison._

_The Emperor has entered the prison._

_The Priestess has entered the prison._

_The Hermit has entered the prison._

_The Empress has entered the prison._


	3. Game Start

A large iron door, with seemingly no way to open it. No switches, no buttons, no levers. Nothing.

"How are we supposed to open this thing...?" Ann mumbled. "This has gotta be the entrance, right? I mean, our clothes haven't changed yet."

Morgana shook his head. "Don't forget, this is still _Akira's_ Palace. He might just not see us as a threat. After all, he doesn't know we know about this place."

"Who cares! Let's bust this thing open!" Ryuji exclaimed, raising his good leg, and giving the metal a solid kick.

A flash sparked, and a voice unfamiliar to the Thieves resounded through the air.

_The Chariot has entered the game._

"What the...hey, wait a minute! The hell is this!?" His thief outfit was now in place, with the addition of a tarot card being stitched onto the right sleeve. Ten tally marks sat underneath it.

A laugh bounced off of the walls as a figure phased through the doors.

"Welcome, Phantom Thieves! I didn't expect you so soon. The game isn't even ready yet!" Akira's Shadow beamed at all of them, brimming with confidence. He spread his arms out in front of him. "My grandest apologies, but would you mind waiting a few days before coming back? I had an entire set up in mind, and this really won't work without it being finished."

They instinctively reached for weapons that, with the exception of Ryuji, didn't exist yet. "That won't be happening." Haru spoke firmly, gaze locked on the...one golden eye? The other being the same gray they had become accustomed to. "We're going to take your Treasure, and change your heart."

Joker pouted with narrowed eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Disappointing. Why the interest? I haven't even _done_ anything yet, and I most definitely haven't asked for your help."

"Because you're our leader." Makoto took a step forward, walking past him, and towards the door. She pulled back her fist as she glanced over her shoulder. "And our friend." With a short battle cry, she slammed her fist into the gate, the same flash as before covering her sudden shift into her thief clothes. The card was in place on her as well, albeit a different design.

_The Priestess has entered the game._

"Nice dramatics, I'll give you that. Looks like you've all been picking up my little habits." His voice lowered as he started talking to himself. "Maybe I can make this work if...yeah, that should be fine. Not like he doesn't deserve it, anyways." Back up to normal volume. "Very well, you may proceed! One at a time, though. With these revised rules, if you make it to the end, you get my prisoner back. That's it. If you can make it to the cell while still wanting him back, you can have him. I might even show you where the Treasure is~! Adieu, my darling Phantom Thieves!" With a flourishing spin on his heel, he walked back through the door, one last flicker of his coat marking his exit.

"...Is that seriously Akira?" Morgana stared incredulously after the Shadow. "He's so...over the top."

Yusuke hummed in thought. "Really? It seemed quite in-character to me."

"Yeah, Akira is _such_ a show-off in the Metaverse. You've seen Arsene, right? This is actually a lot less dramatic than I thought he'd be." Futaba agreed, stepping forward and giving the door a quick tap to get access to Prometheus. "_Wha-_? Oh shit, he wasn't kidding. There are seven direct paths to a huge chamber. I can only see the full layout of one of them. I guess that one's for me?" She glanced down at her own card design.

_The Hermit has entered the game._

"He said one at a time...should we all just go at once, then?" Ann questioned, not approaching just yet.

Makoto bit her lip. After a moment of silence, she shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea. Based on what the Shadow said, the actual Akira really _is_ in here somewhere. Sis' casino made us play her games to progress, and I don't want to know what Akira's Shadow would do to us if we tried to break his rules. Or to him."

"Then let me go first! Me and Seiten Taisei are gonna get through this, no problem! All we gotta do is make it to the end, yeah! You guys won't even have to lift a finger!" Ryuji charged forward, preparing to slam into the door. He nearly shouted as his body passed through it, and dragged whatever was left on the outside with it. 

"Skull!" As the others tried to follow, the door was solid again. 

_Let us start the game_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post this way sooner, and wanted it to be longer, but every character's path is going to be it's own chapter. I didn't want Ryuji to be first, since he's the Protagonist's (I'd argue) best friend, but that's just how it goes. I didn't think he'd want anybody else to go first, and with how I designed the door to not accept hesitation in going forward, it is how it is. Time for the angst to kick in. Hopefully I post it soon, this time!


	4. The Chariot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reins have been let go. The Chariot stops.
> 
> The game continues.

After gathering his bearings, Ryuji wasn't nervous. It was just a hallway, with dozens of cells on either side. He was a little more so when he realized the door he had just passed through was now a solid brick wall. Not getting out that way, then.

He was surprised to realize he recognized the creatures that had been locked up. They were Shadows. Or, he guessed, Akira's Personas. Some of them, at least. He definitely recognized the giant origami monster. It wasn't affected by physical, gun, or curse attacks. After Akira somehow got rid of its nuclear weakness, he liked keeping that one around.

There was another he recognized. Some sort of blue creature in a pot. God, he hadn't seen that one since-

"Kamoshida's Palace. Right after Mona found out he could use other Personas." His voice came out, even if his mouth didn't move. His weapon was in his hand before he knew it, pulled back to swing at his cognition's face.

The copy only laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Relax, man! You see any Phantom Thief stuff on me? I ain't gonna hurt you." It was true, he was in his version of the school uniform. "'Sides, I doubt I'd do much damage. Captain Kidd verses Seiten Taisei? Even I know that's a bad match up."

Admittedly, that made Ryuji drop his guard a little. "Kidd? How come you got a different Persona than I do?"

"Oh, I mean. I probably do. Captain Kidd transformed or whatever after you and Kurusu helped with the track team stuff, right? I'd rather keep the weaker Persona than have to deal with him. You can get that, right?"

_ **Kurusu?** _

"What the hell are you talking about? _Akira's_ our friend. Shit. I mean, he's _my_ friend. My best friend. Why would I avoid him?"

His double's face twisted. "Because he thinks we're stupid. Even after everything we've been through. Haven't you noticed how everything is always our fault? And how he never says anything against it? We ain't his _friend_, we're his _punching bag_. Always the butt of the joke, always the last to be healed because '_we can take it_.' I'm effin' sick of it."

That wasn't true. Akira just knew he had thick skin, or that he didn't _care_ if others thought he was stupid. He was reliable in a fight, wasn't he? Akira trusted him. This stupid copy was just trying to get in his head. Nothing he said was true. "Bullshit."

"Yeah? They thought we died when the boat or whatever blew up, didn't they? You see him looking sad? 'Cause I sure as hell didn't. He didn't stop the girls from hittin' us either. It wasn't our _fault_ that the damn thing exploded, but he let Ann and the others kick the shit out of us. Didn't even help us up." The cognition's voice grew louder and louder. "He doesn't _give a shit_. We're only around to feed his little ego, ain't we? Even his Palace is all about him. I'm his cognition of you. This is how he sees us."

That part hit him where it hurt. Because it had to be the case. He wasn't an expert on how the Metaverse worked. Far from it. But Kamoshida had Ann dressed like his personal toy because that's how he saw her. Madarame had Yusuke as a painting because he was just another thing to bring him fame and money. Akira had him as an angry person who hated him because...that's what he thought he was?

All the things that the cognition was going on about had to be fake. Because Akira trusted him. He knew he could take it. _Would_ take it. He knew they were friends, and that Ryuji had his back just like Akira had his.

Unless he didn't.

This fake didn't have his friend's back. If this was how Akira saw him, why did he let him take so much? Why was he always on the front lines? Why didn't he ever tell the others to stop grilling him over every little thing he did? Yeah, he messed up sometimes, but it wasn't on purpose. Why didn't he ever congratulate him on doing a good job like he did Makoto and Futaba? Because their stuff used more brain than brawn? Neither of them could've gotten the lifeboat down.

_Your Chariot Confidant has dropped to Rank 9!_

_Your Chariot Confidant has dropped to Rank 8!_

_Your Chariot Confidant has dropped to Rank 7!_

If Akira couldn't count on Ryuji, why did he keep him around? So that he could take what Akira couldn't? Just to be used?

They were friends...right?

_Your Chariot Confidant has dropped to Rank 6!_

_Your Chario-..._

No.

Of...of course they were. What was he thinking? He was letting some double in the Metaverse mess with his head. Ryuji had faith in Akira. He had from the beginning. Doubting it now wasn't going to help anybody. If he wanted answers, there was only one place to get them.

"Who _gives_ a shit!? He has a Palace because his desires are distorted or whatever, right? You're nothing but one of those. You're a fake! You ain't gonna stop me from bustin' my best friend out of here! Shut your mouth and get out of my way, or I'll make you!"

A sigh resounded through the air.

"Then come, Chi You!" Joker's voice cut through the air, even as he remained unseen.

Ryuji felt something twist painfully inside of him when a cell in the distance had its bars knocked down, and a green, multi-limbed creature stepped out. "Fine then! Seiten Taisei!" Only for a familiar skeletal pirate to form instead. "C-captain Kidd!? Are you kidding me?"

"I told you. Kidd only transformed when you got close to Kurusu. When you decided to trust him all the way. Even if you still want him out...that ain't the case anymore, is it? You doubt him."

"For...for real?" Ryuji took a step back from the monster making its way closer to him and his double, fighting to steel his nerves. For his friend. Their leader, who always had their backs. He wouldn't be stopped by something like this. "So what? It doesn't matter! Even if I'm not as strong as before, that won't stop me from getting past!"

He looked up, locking eyes with Chi You. "Blast him away! _Captain-!_"

The axe it held was swung, and Ryuji was engulfed in darkness.

* * *

When he opened his eyes again, it was to the call of his voice.

"-uji. Ryuji!" A growl. _"__What the fuck did you do."_

The realization hit him. "Akira?" He sat up in a hurry, groaning as dizziness and pain took over his system.

"Shit, are you okay? Don't push yourself too hard. I don't have any items, and I can't use my Personas here. Just take it easy, alright? Nothing here is going to hurt you." The concern in Akira's voice was easy to hear, even in his dazed state. When his vision cleared, there his friend sat in all his glory. 

Multiple bruises on his face, glasses missing, wearing a prison suit and-

"Holy- _Akechi!?_"

"Just a cognition." Akira brushed off his outburst, offering a smile of relief once he saw that the blonde was overall fine. "My executioner if I 'step out of line.' Little late for that, don't you think? It didn't work out so well last time either."

Ryuji's mind raced. How the hell was Akira so calm about all this? "Why aren't you freaking out, dude!? You're trapped here, aren't you? Oh, wait! Your Shadow said we just needed to want for you to get out, right? Maybe the door is unlocked from this side!" He reached for the first door, yanking his hand back as a surge of electricity was sent through his arm. It didn't smart nearly as much as it would've for the others, but with nullification gone, it still stung. "Ow! What the hell?"

"Nope. Gotta be Rank 10, I'm afraid." Akira's voice, but deeper. Joker. The thief winked from the other side of the wall of bars. "Those little tally marks? There has to be 10 of them on your wrist to open the gates. You only have 6. There were supposed to be less by the time you got here, but it's fine. I _did_ expect you to be one of the hardest to fool. You really are good at blind faith, huh Skull? Easy to trick when it comes to anything but betrayal?"

"Shut up. Don't talk to him like that." Akira glared at his other self, who only laughed.

"Oh, so _now_ you stand up for him. Eh, whatever. Enjoy the show, you two. I have other thieves to entertain." With a wave of his hand, a large screen emerged from the back wall, showing the others standing around in front of the iron doors. Joker was gone when they looked back.

"...Heh. I told you your outfit looks like a magician."

* * *

_Ding!_

_The Chariot Route has been vacated. Please send in the next contestant!_

"Vacated? No way...did Skull lose?" Ann looked at the faces of the group, searching for hints of reassurance.

It came from Futaba. "Maybe, but he's okay. I can see his signal now. It near one that's similar to Joke- Akira's, I guess. But that one is different in a weird way. It's him, but it's not."

"We'll figure it out later. It wants another one of us to go in." Makoto bit the inside of her cheek while all of them turned towards the foreboding doors. The unspoken question rung through the air.

Who was next in line for Joker's little game?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very, VERY uncertain about the pacing of this chapter. I feel like it's way too rushed. Either way, please give me your feedback about the style of how this went? Did Ryuji believing the cognition at all seem too out of character? I kind of thought so, but then I realized that he didn't have to believe. He just had to doubt. Trust takes a long time to be built up, and so little to be torn down, after all! 
> 
> Even a little hesitation was all that Joker needed.


	5. The Priestess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Queen is dethroned, a Priestess loses her faith.
> 
> The game continues.

When nobody spoke, Makoto took a deep breath. Inhale, exhale. 

"I'll go next, then."

Immediately that sparked a reaction from the others. Haru's brow furrowed in concern. "You don't have to go, Mako-chan. I can-"

Makoto didn't let her finish. "No, it makes sense. Anat has a good balance of offense and support. If either Skull or Akira is hurt, I can heal them. I can also take a hit better than Mona or Panther can. Besides," she bit the inside of her cheek, "I'm not so sure that just one of us getting to him is going to be the end of it. It might not matter what order we go in."

"I was thinking the same thing!" Futaba cut in, glancing up from her computer. "Once Skull made it through, a path lit up on my map. I can still only see it and mine, but I'm thinking these things work kinda like keys. Or, well, _we're_ the keys. Once all the locks are taken care of, whatever is keeping him here should open up, or at least let us progress as a group more."

"That almost seems too easy!" A smile appeared on Ann's face. "I guess Akira's making it easy on us? This is his palace, and he knows just how good we are. It makes sense that he knew his defenses wouldn't be able to hold up."

Of course Morgana chimed in to agree. "It's a fairly new palace, from what I can tell. His Shadow even said that he wasn't ready for us yet."

Despite their assurances, Makoto wasn't quite sure. "Either way, we should stay alert. Oracle should be able to tell you once I make it through, if Skull's turn was any indication." 

"Right. Good luck, Queen!"

The High Priestess lifted her head high, and walked through the gates.

* * *

A dizzy spell hit her almost immediately as the scene around her started shifting into a more familiar setting. Gone were the cold prison walls and metal bars. Taking their place came familiar classrooms and hallways. That didn't bring her any comfort. The air became more suffocating, if possible. Personas that she had seen Joker wield before stared at her with nothing short of emptiness in their gaze.

Well, it wasn't comforting, but she could work with this. At least she knew what Shujin was supposed to look like. And since the school wasn't the source of his distortion, hypothetically, the layout would stay the same.

"If this is supposed to be a path specifically for me, then...I suppose my destination should be the student council room." However, she barely had time to voice that thought before whispers permeated the air.

_"Isn't that the transfer student? I hear he brings a knife to school."_

_"I heard he keeps a cat in his desk. You think he tortures it after class?"_

_"How did **he** rank first on the exams?"_

_"I've seen him acting pretty friendly with Kawakami. I bet he sleeps with her for better grades."_

_"No way, she wouldn't ever stoop that low. It's probably because he has some dirt on her."_

_"How did he get Takamaki-san **and** Nijima-san to talk to him?"_

_"Okumura-san was looking for him, too! Poor girls...you think he's threatening them?"_

It wasn't any secret that even now, the student body didn't hold much love for their leader. But were the rumors really that frequent? And to know all of these, didn't that mean they were saying these things about him with him in earshot?

_"I know that what Kamoshida did is absolutely unforgivable, but...I think it was good that he at least made sure we knew how dangerous Kurusu is."_

_"I know, right? I guess even the worst of people have some sort of conscience."_

Okay, hearing this put some things into perspective. But she was getting sidetracked. She was here to find Akira, not learn all the things that were being said about him.

_"He was probably pretty wrapped up in that mafia thing a while back. Maybe we should put his name on the Phan-site."_

_"That's way too dangerous! The Phantom Thieves are murderers, you know."_

_"But would that really be so bad? Then we wouldn't be in danger."_

_"I wouldn't be surprised if he was one..."_

Where was she supposed to be going? That likely depended on whether this location was focused on her, or their leader. She might find him in his classroom, or in the student council room. Maybe even on the roof, where she presumed their first hideout was.

They weren't very good at being subtle before she and Futaba came around, were they? Haru only found them out due to running into Morgana, and she was sure that Akechi had known their identities far longer than he had let on.

Well, it was a process of elimination. She could check the classroom first, and work her way up. 

_"Did you see the interview, a while back? I was re-watching it, with everything going on. It was totally the transfer, calling the police out right in front of Akechi-kun!"_

_"Of course he supports the Phantom Thieves."_

The handle didn't budge as she pulled on it. Personas inside watched her with disappointed expressions.

_"Isn't it kind of strange how he disappears as soon as the leader of the Phantom Thieves gets arrested?" _

_"Oh come on. Even for him, that's a stretch."_

_"You really think so? Kamoshida confessed less than a month after he showed up."_

_"Between him and Sakamoto, I wonder if anything Kamoshida did is even legit? Maybe they made him say it, with those weird powers!"_

_"Even if it isn't true, we should totally report him if he shows up again. I mean, come on. No way he's been innocent the whole time he's been here. I'm sure he's done something to put him back in jail."_

The door to the council room swung open. Inside sat herself, in her uniform. 

"Hello. Can I help you with anything?" Her voice was pleasant and expecting.

Makoto let the door close on its own. "I want to know where Akira is."

The cognition's expression didn't change, still blank as a slate. "Oh, the delinquent transfer. You don't have to worry about him. The student council has taken the concerns of the student body into account, and has removed the problem."

What?

"This is his Palace. He's in here somewhere. If you won't tell me his location, then where is his shadow?"

"The student council has taken the concerns of the student body into account, and has removed the problem."

Her eye twitched behind her mask. This had to be on purpose. There was no way that Akira saw her as this sort of robot. Someone who catered to whatever was demanded of her.

Not...not anymore, at least. He should know best. After all, she grew as a person so quickly because of him and the others.

"Where is Joker? Won't you tell me?"

"The student council-"

"_God_, what a bore, am I right?" A familiar smooth voice droned, causing Makoto to spin around in shock. Had the door opened behind her?

"When-"

Joker waved his hand, strutting up to her cognition and draping his arm over her shoulders. "Mako-chan over here can't really help you that much, but don't blame her too harshly. It isn't her fault that she's completely useless."

Useless? Oh, that asshole _knew_ what he was doing. "You're right. She can't help being a fabrication made to irritate me."

That only earned her a laugh. "See! There's really no outdoing the original. Except for me, of course. I am _so_ much more fun than wittle ol' Aki. But no worries! This place is a room of lies, anyhow."

"Oh? Do tell. How is the group of 3 people managing Shujin with little to no help from the administration operating in a room of lies?" Fuck, she _knew_ he was baiting her. Why was she falling for it so easily? Was it because it was coming from the person she had confided so much in? Her friend and trusted leader?

Whatever the reason was, it was more than clear that Joker was enjoying her struggle. "And aren't you all just doing a bang up job! But you can only do so much to fix trash. It gets to the point where there's nothing worth managing, don't you know? A teacher's scandal, an onslaught of students being caught in dealings with the mafia, and then the principal dies! If I were anybody else, I might even care."

It was on purpose. This was the shadow speaking, no matter who he looked like. Just focus on the one golden eye. There was the evidence that it was all fake. "Like Akira? He cares about the innocent students. He wouldn't have agreed to help with Kaneshiro if he didn't."

"You're right. It wasn't like there was any other reason to do so. Like, oh I don't know, a nosy schoolgirl threatening to get him arrested if he didn't?"

She grit her teeth and tried to ignore that. That was...technically true, but she was sure he would have helped anyways. That was the kind of person he was.

The shadow wasn't finished. "You know, isn't it kind of funny that a girl who takes so much pride in her intelligence only endeared herself to us because she did something stupid?" He turned his head, as if talking to Cognitive Makoto. "Like, if she had stuck with the prissy bitch attitude, I would probably be in jail, and Kaneshiro would still be at large. Well, unless the other Nijima actually managed to do something. She was involved with that, right? That's why she got even more unbearable?"

"Shut up." Fake or not, she was not going to let him disrespect her or her sister.

His stupid smug grin only made her anger spike higher. How dare he wear her friend's face while he judged everything she had done for him? How dare he use the confidence that _their_ Joker threw around so often for the sole purpose of pissing her off?

It was just as fake as the Makoto next to him.

_Your Priestess Confidant has dropped to Rank 9!_

...Right?

To an extent, the copy next to him...there was an element of truth to it, as much as she despised the fact. Despite her knowing in her heart that it was wrong, that too much was being demanded of her, and Kobayakawa was only using her as both a scapegoat and free labor, she still obeyed his orders. Even as he avoided her questions about Kamoshida, she did as he asked. She hadn't even tried to do anything about the clear abuse the volleyball team faced. She had made the mistake of trusting those in power, believing them over her own eyes.

Was that what she was doing now? Trusting the way things had seemed, despite the clear truth right in front of her?

"Akira isn't like you. He's selfless, and just, to the point of foolishness." He had known that he was going to be arrested, and likely not treated well. Even if he tried to hide it from them, she had seen a hint of the bruising.

She...she should have mentioned it. More than anybody else among them, Makoto knew what it was like, trying to take on more responsibility than one could handle. Now that she took a moment to reflect on it, just how much did Akira do for them? Buying them equipment, sure. That was a given.

But all the new skills that he had somehow acquired overnight? The number of lockpicks and other thieving tools that came with them? The questionably powerful medicine that he brought into the Metaverse? On top of that, maintaining high grades and planning every infiltration they did.

_Your Priestess Confidant has dropped to Rank 8!_

Makoto would argue that, on top of everything he had done for her, he'd found time to talk to and help the rest of their team. After all, their Personas had all eventually gained the same power boost she had obtained with Agnes. Who she could no longer hear, the soothing voice of Johanna having returned.

They supported him in battle. They offered skills in the Metaverse that nobody else could.

But did they really support him? Not in the same way he did for them. When was the last time she had a conversation with him that didn't involve her problems, or their work as Thieves?

"You're right." Joker spoke up after a while, shaking her out of her musings. "Akira is selfless, and stupid. He cares about all of you."

Then the shadow dropped his smile, looking almost disappointed. "Even if you don't care about him."

It took a moment for her to formulate her thoughts. "That's..." She took a breath. "We care about him. Yes, maybe we haven't been the best friends as of late, but-"

"There's a difference between 'not the best of friends' and 'not bothering to ask how he's holding up after being tortured by the police'." Joker took note of the look of shock on her face and laughed. "Did you really not know? I figured Sae would tell you something. The beatings? The drugs? How his only clear memory of the entire arrest was being made to sign a confession? Even the interrogation was fuzzy."

"That doesn't mean we don't care! Just because we didn't know doesn't mean it doesn't bother us!"

"And that's the big stuff! You can hear the rumors, can't you? I heard that shit every day for fucking _months_, and then this bitch walks up to the only people who are worth a single shit, and threaten us to do her bidding, or get turned into the police. Whether you like to admit it or not, Makoto, you _believed_ every single one of those rumors. You believed that the Phantom Thieves couldn't possibly be just, because they were made up of _delinquents_." 

_Your Priestess Confidant had dropped to Rank 7!_

"Is it any wonder that I didn't trust you enough to tell you any of this?"

"I..." Makoto took a deep breath, biting the inside of her cheek. "You're right."

That stopped Joker, leaving him staring at her with widened eyes. "What?"

"I haven't been a good person, in the past. I haven't been a good friend, even now. Me, and all of the Thieves. We've been expecting everything of you, without taking your health into consideration. But people make mistakes. If we didn't care about you at all, we wouldn't _be_ here. Should we have done better? Yes. But we won't get that opportunity if I let your words stop me here. So, I'll ask _you_ this time. Where is Akira?"

The shadow didn't speak for a moment, eventually lifting his head to glare at her. The cognition next to him starting turning to black ink, bubbling and shifting into a different shape. "...Come, Cybele."

* * *

Thankfully for Akira, Ryuji didn't seem too upset with him. The screen went black after Makoto stepped through, leaving the both of them wondering why Joker gave it to them in the first place. Just to let them know who to expect?

Eventually, Makoto stood before the two of them, seven of the tally marks still on her wrist. She looked exhausted, but uninjured.

"Makoto! I'm glad you're s-" The glare he received made his voice die out.

"You had best start explaining."

* * *

_The Priestess route has been vacated!_


End file.
